


Hungry Like the Wolf

by Scarlett_Lamour



Series: Howling for You [6]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Beta!John, Biting, Choking, F/M, Hanging, Multi, Smut, Werewolves, Who has time to edit? Not me!, alpha!arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-10 01:17:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20126977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarlett_Lamour/pseuds/Scarlett_Lamour
Summary: Sorry this one’s shorter than normal. I may have gotten distracted writing something else...three guesses what!





	1. Chapter 1

That morning, Adeline woke up with a headache. She sat up, rubbing at the pain between her eyes and dreading starting a day that was already going to hell. When John rolled over she snarled reflexively at his snoring back and stood up, stretching out aching muscles. She questioned the red flare of anger but shook it off and went about getting ready for the day. They were back out west again, in the oppressive heat of New Austin and she was sticky before even leaving their tent. Arthur was up already, gone to do something for the pack, of course. He couldn’t sit still for two seconds, could he? She took a moment to quickly braid her chestnut hair with the ease of long practice and pinned it up with a long hat pin she’d stolen from the last town they’d been in.

It’d been a little place, not more than a stop on a train station where people would travel for miles to pick up their mail. One of the station workers also sold a few dry goods as a side business, as they often did, so she and Arthur had stopped in to stock up on a few things. While she’d been glancing through the few sundry items on the shelves, a train had pulled in to switch out mail bags. Her eyes had glanced out to see a very rich looking woman step off the train. Her clothes were well fitted and expensive, a large feather in her hat pure decadence in the heat of the day. It swayed in the breeze off the train, catching Adeline’s eye. When the woman say Adeline watching her, she’d sneered. That wasn’t something she was going to let go, so she’d put the jar of salted meat back on the shelf and stepped out onto the train platform. Behind her she heard Arthur give a small cough to get her attention but she’d ignored it. 

She stepped out of the building, fanning herself as if she was too hot and needed air. The woman sniffed, stepping away from her. For a minute she wondered if she really looked that bad. Traveling like they did didn’t afford her many fine things, but her clothes were clean and she managed a bath fairly regularly. A hand strayed up to check her hair and found it neatly pinned back like she usually wore it, no wayward strands making her look messy. No, this rich lady was just a bitch. 

“I swear,” the voice cut through the air like a sharp knife. “These trains travel through the most desolate places. I would weep if I lived out here.” The woman sniffed, looking to a man who stepped off behind her. He seemed long suffering but the ring on his finger told Adeline he’d chosen to attach himself to the worrisome peacock who was pointedly ignoring her. Adeline watched for a minute, eye landing on the jeweled hat pin holding the flouncy piece of finery on the carefully tended hair. The green gem flashed in the heavy sun, big as her thumb. When the mail clerk came off the train, holding a sack of mail over his shoulder and grunting under the weight, Adeline had simply put herself between him and the haughty woman. He couldn’t see his left side easily, the large sack blocking his view. She let him bump into him and threw herself back into the woman. They crashed into each other and then the floor. Adeline made a deal out of checking the poor woman, her hands on her shoulders and arms as she pulled her to her feet. 

“Oh, my dear! I’m so sorry! So clumsy!” She begged her pardon. The mail clerk had set his sack down and moved to help as well. The rich woman was scowling and yelling and swatting at the mail clerk. It took nothing at all for Adeline to reach up and slip the hat pin free from the hat and deposit it into her own satchel. The woman pushed her away and Adeline gave a small wave, trotting off in feigned embarrassment. Arthur was watching her closely as she returned inside the station building. He didn’t say anything but made it clear he’d seen what she’d done. She’d only gave a small shrug, that made him laugh. Adeline took great pleasure pinning her hair up with the pin before they rode off. 

It gave her less pleasure today. Her headache pounding in her temples as she stepped into the blinding sun. Arthur had walked by, pausing to kiss her cheek before moving off, looking back startled when she snarled at him, still half asleep. She wasn’t one to be sluggish in the mornings, or to snap at him for no reason. Surely he’d say something about it later but she’d snarl at him then too. Everything was annoying to her and she couldn't quite shake the fog of sleep from her mind. 

She went to go hide among the string of horses, realizing she was being unreasonable. Ace huffed, excited to see her but looking for a treat. Arthur had shown her how to teach him tricks with the aid of sugar cubes and the horse's sweet tooth was proving a useful tool. Ace was quick to learn and he already knew a few tricks she had come up with on her own. Footsteps to the left of her made her snarl with a snap as Charles walked in from guard duty. He jerked back at her glare, stepping out of her biting range before disappearing into camp. She cursed under breath, couldn't she have any time alone in this damn camp? 

Charles must have spoken to someone, because no one bothered her while she'd been out with the horses, pretending Ace wasn't already the cleanest one in the herd. By around midday her headache was only worse and she was sweating even in the shade. John came walking up to her, making noise as he went so she wasn’t surprised by him. 

"Addy?" His voice was nervous and that stuck in her craw in a way that made her twist to look at him like she was ready to stab him. Was he so untrusting of her to treat her like a feral beast?

"What? Is Grimshaw going to get after me for not doing all mine _and_ everyone else's mending too?" She caught his eyebrows shooting up at her response before she turned back to glare at a spot on Ace's shoulder. The brush scraped across his fur with a soft shushing noise.

"No, just, you feeling okay, woman? Charles said you about bit him when he walked past you." He was squaring up for a fight and she was itching to give it to him. Throwing the horse brush to the ground, Adeline spun on her heel, glaring at John with her green eyes. 

"Maybe Charles shouldn't just sneak up on a person and expect them to be happy to see him. How about you keep your god damned opinions to yourself." She snarled, knew her eyes flashed silver by how he responded. Leaning away from her and shrinking down a bit.

"Are you feeling okay?" He asked, the sudden topic change catching Adeline off guard enough to knock her out of her anger for the moment.

"No," She sighed, rubbing between her eyes. "I've got an awful headache and the heat is killing me and I come out to the horses and can't even get one moment of peace. I just want to run and rip something apart with my teeth." Her hands clenched and unclenched as she talked. "But Dutch has us lying low so I can't just go and murder an entire coop of chickens or nothing." John reached out slowly to pat her shoulder, still moving carefully around her. 

"Well, full moon's in a couple days. That'll usually set a wolf right, we'll go out running." His touch burned her skin and a shiver ran through her. John looked at her oddly. "But I think you're coming down with something, Addy. Maybe you should try to go take a nap, you ain't usually this touchy over nothing." 

"I don't think it's nothing." She snapped, slapping hand from her shoulder. "I think I will go lay down." A small growl rumbled low in her chest as she shoved past him. He was left wondering exactly what he'd done as she stomped into her tent. It wasn't any less hot inside the tent but it felt better to lay down with the headache than it did to stand so she curled up on their bedrolls.

"Arthur," She could hear John from where she lay and rolled her eyes at his voice. Grabbing up a coat, she tried to cover her ears but she could have heard him from the next county over. "Something's off with Addy, I think she's getting sick." 

"Charles said she was acting strange." The Alpha agreed. God, were they _right_ outside the tent? Couldn't they have the decency to get out of hearing range before talking about her behind her back?

"She nearly ripped my arm off just now." Over the two of them, she heard Sadie's laughter and it grated at her. That woman only ever found pleasure in other people’s suffering. 

"You two really are dense. Can't you smell it?" She stepped closer to the men. "Come on, work it out. How long's Addy been wolf now, nearly six months right? She's getting bitchy, feeling sick?" There was a long pause and Adeline figured it out before they did. She burst from the tent, flinging the flaps aside and scanning the camp for where her mates were talking. They were several feet off beside Dutch's tent. She was storming across the ground. Her hands locked around the collar of Sadie's shirt and pulled her face level with her own. 

"Do you really mean that?" She snarled. The blonde jerked back, peeling Adeline's hands off her clothes and taking a step back.

"Oh, I do, and it's hitting you hard." She was being cautious around Adeline and that bothered her, but Sadie's smell was turning on her worse. It was nearly rancid to her, making her nose scrunch up. "You boys better get her to a den." Grimshaw was already marching across the camp yard, eyes locked on Adeline. She didn't care for the way the old battle axe was stomping towards her, like she was ready to start swinging. Adeline bristled, snarling and went to attack only for Arthur to catch her around the middle and swing her away.

"Aw, no fighting Grimshaw." He warned her, half laughing.

"Get her out of camp." Grimshaw was yelling as Adeline clawed at Arthur's hands. "She's not having her heat in camp. I ain't listening to all that shit and I won't have her upsetting everyone else. There are other Alphas to consider, at the least." 

"Alright, alright! Jesus, you Omegas are something terrible." He grumbled as he dragged Adeline towards the horses. John took a minute to look between Grimshaw and Sadie before following behind. 

"First one's always the worst!" Sadie called after them, laughing. Once they were away from the two Omegas, Adeline calmed down a bit, huffing as she tried not to bite Arthur. When he seemed satisfied she wasn't going to go running back to pick a fight he set her on her feet, keeping a heavy hand on her shoulder. Steering her to the horses, he nearly threw her up on Buckshot.

"John, you go scout out somewhere we can den her up. Lamb, stay on Buckshot while I go grab a few things." He turned to move as John swung up onto Old Boy and started riding off. Pausing a second, Arthur turned and set his hand on her knee. "If you get off this horse and start picking fights, I'm going to hog tie you to the saddle." His eyes flashed gold in a warning and a shiver ran through Adeline. She nodded, looking away to scowl at the dirt while she waited on him. When he climbed up behind her, a shiver ran through her to feel him press against his back. 

"I can't tell right now, do you like me touching you or is it bothering you?" Arthur asked as he picked up the reins and nudged Buckshot out of the camp. Adeline's jaw was tight as she breathed through her nose.

"I don't know myself." Her words were tense, tight. She wanted to fight, to run and everything felt uncomfortable. "If this is a heat, and I'm going to have to do it every six months, I'm not sure I'm going to make it a year." Her hand clenched the horn of the saddle. Arthur shifted behind her, a soft hand rubbing against her arm. 

"Well, you don't get a heat when you're pregnant." The words were careful but Adeline still snarled a little bit. She didn't shrug off his hand though. 

"Hell of a time to bring up family planning." It was a fight to keep a civil tongue in her head and she wasn't sure she had the energy to keep it up if he kept being an ass.

"It suddenly became a pressing matter. Lamb, do you want pups?" His question was brisk and sudden and she didn't have an answer. The thought was hard to turn over in her head.

"I don't know." She responded truthfully. Silence. "I never did before I met you two." Arthur's hand moved to rest on her thigh, silently encouraging her to continue. "And then, Abigail said humans and wolves couldn't breed. So it didn't matter."

"And now? We gotta talk about it now, before you get all the way into your heat. Once you get fully into it, you're not going to be in your right mind." His thumb rubbed against her leg and another shock ran through her that set her teeth on edge. 

"I don't know, I was kind of sad to think I couldn't have kids with you. I guess, I guess I thought it'd be nice." The words finally came out. She finally admitted it to herself. "I don't know if I'm ready for them now. Maybe." It felt embarrassing to admit that maybe her middle did go soft when she occasionally thought about what Arthur or John's kid would look like. What she wanted to do was think things over, consider their options, but she also wanted to slap Arthur as hard as possible for even bringing it up. Behind her, Arthur let out a slow breath, his chest pressing against her as it rose and fell.

"Well, takes about ten months to have pups so it'd be springtime when they'd be born. That's a fine time for new pups." He was talking her through it. She grumbled to herself that he was so damn clever to figure out what she needed. She didn't appreciate his cleverness at the moment. "You wouldn't be very pregnant during the summer months, I understand that's fairly undesirable. Pack's doing well, coffers are full and so is the pantry. It's not the worst time. If you wanted." 

"What about you? Do you want a kid?" Seemed like his opinion should count too. Why did it have to be solely her responsibility to decide such a big thing? Felt unfair to foist it all on her like this. Arthur was silent, thinking. His arm moved to hold her waist. 

"I don't want you to feel like you gotta do something if you don't want to, but yeah. I'd like a couple of pups with you. John would too." So they'd been talking about it without her, had they? The scoundrels. The absolute ratbags.

"Who said I wanted two?" That was a bit presumptuous of him, wasn't? Arthur's breath caught for a moment then he gave a small huffing laugh.

"Oh, Lamb. Wolves always have twins." He explained, but Adeline went silent, knocked out of her grumpiness by the realization she hadn't ever met a set of twin wolves. 

"What? So there's another Arthur out there running around somewhere you just never mentioned?" She twisted in the saddle to look at him but his face had fallen a bit and he was looking out over the open space instead of at her. 

"No, my brother, he died when we were real little. Name was Issac. Lamb, life's hard and Hunter's are clever." That was a gut punch of a sentence to hear. "My parents were not...good parents." They rode in silence for a long while, Arthur steering Buckshot in the direction John was pulling them. 

"Did Micah have a twin I need to be watching out for?" She asked. The idea that Micah's brother would hunt her down out of revenge seemed almost poetic. 

"Nope," Arthur shifted his seat, the movement against her getting her hair up again. "Micah killed his brother, if I remember correctly. Nasty bit of work is finally doing some good fertilizing the flowers."

"Probably the nicest thing he ever did." Adeline even managed to joke a bit. It let off some of the pressure she'd been feeling. 

"Maybe having kids, pups, with you would be nice." Her words were softer now. Arthur dipped his head to nuzzle her neck a bit. "Maybe it's something I do want to do, even if I never thought I would." Arthur raised his head, looking around as something caught his attention. When Adeline followed his gaze, the scent hit her too. An Alpha, nearby. But on top of that, the scent of iron and dogs. 

"Hunters." Arthur's voice was a hiss. His hand tightened on Adeline's hip. She kept scenting. It felt like if she tried, she could even scent the pack even though they were miles from there. Maybe it was her heat doing it. 

"Arthur, that Alpha," She scented again just to be sure. "I know that scent." It took her a moment to work back through her memories before she tore the reins from his hand and spurred Buckshot in a flat gallop towards the smell of Hunters. Her ire was up and she was out for blood now.


	2. Chapter 2

Arthur's arms around her waist were a fire in her gut, but she ignored it because she knew that scent. An Alpha, mingled with the scent of Hunters and as they got closer the weaker scent of a Beta. Fear, anger, pain, it all swirled together until a tree in the distance rose up over the horizon. A crowd gathered under it, a prison wagon to one side and someone, Adeline only needed one guess, was being strung up at the tree. Buckshot's hooves thudded against the dirt, fast as ever, but Arthur placed his hand over Adeline's and pulled the horse up sharp. Dirt flew as Buckshot dug his feet in and skidded to a stop.

"Lamb, we go running up there, we're going to get shot or hung too." He warned her. He wasn't saying don't help, he was just asking her to be smarter about it. Adeline huffed, riled and unwilling to really listen. She slipped free of his grasp and slid out of the saddle. 

"Arthur, they're wolves and they're in trouble. With fucking Hunters of all things. You want to stay back here with your tail between your legs, be my guest. I've been dying to rip out throats all day." Without further arguments, she slipped into a wolf and was bolting across the open plains. 

She kept her body low among the scrubs as she neared the group. Her fur was a light brown, broken up with gold and black markings. It blended in well with the dust of New Austin and she was thankful for it. A scarred Alpha with one eye sat on a horse, arms tied behind his back and neck already being pulled up by a noose tossed over a tree branch. He was being stoic, quiet and proud as the Hunters jeered at him. In the prison wagon, the Beta was snarling and throwing himself against the bars. He looked a good bit worse for wear, covered in bruises with open cuts on his face leaking blood. The Hunters stood ringed around the Alpha, hounds on short leashes as they bayed excitedly, leaping at the wolf from the ends of their chains. Wind shifted, blowing some of the leaves of her cover away and the Alpha's one eye moved to see Adeline creeping near. His expression didn't change but the Beta had stopped flinging himself against the bars of the prison wagon. 

A gunshot rang out, echoing from far back and the rope holding the Alpha's neck snapped. Arthur's aim was always good. Adeline took the opportunity to leap at the nearest Hunter. Her back legs hit him square in the chest and she rode him down to the dirt, head flinging back with an arc of blood following it before she turned her attention elsewhere. The horse the Alpha had been sat on took off in fright, carrying it's rider off. Five other Hunters turned their attention on Adeline. A bullet grazed across her shoulder as one managed to get his gun out. Her eyes snapped to him but he was knocked back, a fine mist of red where his head used to be. Four left. Hounds were let go from their leashes, jumping at her but she swatted them away like flies. They gave yelps and the few that could, fled. 

"OMEGA!" A Hunter yelled before a bullet ripped through his neck. Damnit, if she wasn't quicker Arthur was going to pick them all off before she could get anymore between her teeth. She twisted around to grab a Hunter that had been trying to sneak behind her and let her teeth grab the first thing she could reach. He screamed as her claws raked deep gouges across his face and chest, her jaw buried in his shoulder. Another shot went off and she turned her head to see a Hunter had been leveling his gun at her back point blank before Arthur shot him in the chest. She turned to the last Hunter, he was quaking in fear, gun dropped as he turned to run. Oh, that made her grin, she wanted a chase. It wasn't much of one sadly, a handful of strides and she was on him, snapping his neck as she shook him like a rag doll. 

The open plains were silent now, a calm over them as the death settled. Adeline took a few moments to rip bits of flesh off and gulp them down. She wasn't really hungry, exactly, but there was something satisfying about eating your kill. A horse rode up beside her and she snapped her head around to growl over her kill. The Alpha had gotten his hands free and was reining the horse around her towards the prison wagon. He eyed her for a minute, happy to be alive but cautious of her. When it was clear he wasn't going to steal her kill and she wasn't going to attack him unprovoked, he turned his eye to the prison wagon. Arthur rode up then, raising a hand in greeting, his rifle still slung over his back. He dismounted with a slick motion, assessing the situation. The Beta clung to the bars of the prison wagon, wanting to be closer to his Alpha.

"Was a kind thing of you to do," The Alpha said. He moved around to the front of the wagon, checking under the seat where a box was. Kicking it open, he pulled out a gun belt and a pair of guns he quickly buckled around his waist. "Stupid, but kind."

"You really going to be calling someone who saved our asses stupid to their face?" The Beta argued. 

"You gotta thank her, she insisted." Arthur shrugged off the praise, pointing to Adeline. She was ripping through the tough leather coat and shirt of a Hunter to get to the meat underneath. The Alpha eyed her hard for a minute before shaking his head and shooting the lock of the prison wagon. The Beta jumped out, throwing himself around the Alpha who stiffly returned the hug. Adeline, satisfied and belly maybe a little fuller than was comfortable, trotted over before slipping back to human. Her clothes were shoved into her arms by an embarrassed Arthur. Her nudity never bothered him before, she eyed him a moment before pulling on her things. The Alpha's eyes slid over her as she dressed. 

"I remember you." His mate seemed to finally remember decorum and straightened up, looking over at Arthur. "Yeah, you were newly turned about six months ago, right?" As he said it, the wind changed again, blowing her scent to them rather than away. The Alpha stiffened, his hand going to grab his mate's shoulder crushingly tight. The Beta actually sagged for a moment under the pressure. Arthur reached for Adeline's arm as she finished buttoning her shirt closed, trying to pull her away. 

"Yeah, glad you're okay. We'll leave you to it." He moved between her and the other Alpha, her scent blowing in his face now and Arthur swore. Stalling a moment to gather himself, he began pushing her away. Her green eyes went silver as she narrowed them at the other Alpha, her lip raising into a snarl as the scent of a rut started to become noticeable. His Beta had his hands dug into the Alpha's shirt and was dragging him back.

"Get her out of here." The Beta groaned, struggling to control his mate. 

"As fast as I can, partner." Growling under his breath, Arthur stooped a second to toss Adeline over his shoulder and carry her to his horse. Buckshot came running up at a whistle and waited, snorting nervously as Adeline growled at him. "Shut up, Lamb." His eyes flashed gold as he kicked Buckshot a little harder than necessary and the stallion bolted away from the snarling fuss of wolf that was growing louder behind them. 

A heat was rising up her spine, Arthur's arm around her waist keeping her in the saddle even though she was squirming. Her fingers dug into his forearm and she clenched down. She reached out past herself to feel John, he was far off still but pleased with himself at least.

“Where the hell is he got to?” She said through gritted teeth as Arthur turned down a road that could hardly count as a road.

“I think I know. A good place.” He patted her side and a fire sparked inside her. Giving a small moan, she threw her head back against his shoulder. The motion of his hips against hers as they rocked with the sway of the lope of the horse was growing unignorable. “Going to make it, Lamb?” He was joking but she was quickly passing the point of laughing. 

“No.” She moaned, feeling Arthur stiffen against her. At least she wasn't the only one suffering. Her eyes were squeezed tight as she tried to ignore her own body. "Where are we going then?" 

"Bessie's house." He responded, "You'll like her. She's a real sweetheart. Omega, she'll have a good spot for us." His nose pressed against her neck, breathing in her like a starving man smelling food. " 'S not far." The touch of the soft skin of his mouth was setting her on fire, sweat was rolling down her neck. 

"She," Adeline had to swallow to keep the words in her mind. "she going to be happy to see us like this?" Her fingers was fading into claws that were starting to press sharply through Arthur's coat. Buckshot turned off the trail they were following, slowing his pace as he began picking his way through the scrub. As the rocking pace slowed, some of the fire in her abated and she was able to breathe again. Leaning forward and gasping for air, it was hard to ignore the way her hair was coming loose of its braid and plastering against her face. Arthur huffed for air with her for a second. 

"Yeah, she doesn't ride with us no more. Got a bad leg. Hosea visits her as much as he can when he's out this way. She'll be glad to help." He seemed to regain control of himself, his grip on her loosening. A small house was in the distance. John was close, and Old Boy was hitched outside the house. As Buckshot slowed to a walk near the house, John came running out. He was quick to grab Adeline's waist and help her down. 

"I ain't an invalid." She snapped at him, but leaned into his shoulder and scented him heavily. Even his smell tasted good. 

"Jesus, got here just in time. What took you so long?" He looked from Adeline to Arthur. The Alpha was groaning as he dismounted, adjusting his jeans for a moment and every politely ignored the bulge.

"Lamb decided to stop a hanging in the middle of her heat, you know, normal things." John looked between the two of them and seemed to decide that Arthur wasn't joking. Hooking Adeline's arm over his shoulder, he dragged her along as she tried to get more of his scent. 

"Did you bathe? You smell wonderful." She could feel her thoughts slipping away and couldn't find it in her to care. John laughed, shaking his head. The door opened and an old woman stepped out onto the porch to hold it open. Adeline tilted her head to the side as she studied her. Less severe than Grimshaw, her eyes smiled at Adeline. 

"Oh, you're cutting it a little close, aren't you?" Her voice was kind. It made Adeline think of warm cookies. "Well, get her in before every Alpha in ten miles scents her." She joked. Adeline glanced around the open scrubland around them. 

"There ain't even lizards in ten miles of here." She argued as John pulled her inside. The old woman's laugh was round and loud. Arthur pulled his hat off, grinning like he was coming home. 

"Bessie." He greeted her. The old woman stood up on her toes and kissed his cheek before pushing him in so she could shut the door. 

"There's a nice den in the basement. She'll be comfortable there for her heat. Plenty of supplies." Bessie was gathering up a few things and stuffing them into a saddle bag. "I suddenly found a reason to visit my sister in Armadillo. She'll be so pleased to see me, it's been too long. Lucky you all happened by, my horse went lame two days ago and John's offered me Old Boy." Adeline watched Bessie bustle about while John let her collapse into a chair. When the old woman noticed her spacing out, she stepped closer, patting her hand carefully.

"Are you an angel?" She asked dreamily. Bessie laughed, leaning over to kiss Adeline's forehead. 

"Oh, I like her." Bessie said to Arthur and John. "See you in a week." With a wave the old woman walked out of the house. Adeline watched through the window as she climbed up onto Old Boy and rode off with more skill than her body looked like it could possibly have. Arthur leaned against the table, watching out the window as well. A searing heat in her gut made her lurch forward, clutching herself. A heavy hand steadied her for a moment. 

"Let's see this den," Arthur suggested as John was flipping a rug back and pulling up a trap door, disappearing down it. "Can you walk still?" He asked Adeline. Nodding loosely, she stood, swaying a bit until she grabbed his arm. Automatically, she curled in against his chest and breathed in his heavy scent. Arthur gave a rumble in his chest, turning her forcefully towards the steps and keeping her at arm's length. The steps were steep and she held onto Arthur's hand, following John down them.

To one side of the basement, the ceiling lowered to half its height. Almost more a large hole dug into the dirt than anything else, but the bottom was lined with furs and Adeline collapsed into them. The sensation of the furs rubbing against her skin made her moan in satisfaction. When she opened her eyes, both her mates were standing over her, watching. The heat in her seared through her in another wave and she was ripping at her clothes. They were too much, they were weighing her down and she was burning to death.

"You're going to be pissed if we let you rip your clothes up." John was pulling her hands away, kissing at her neck to distract her as Arthur quickly removed her clothes before she could damage them. She arched into John's touch, baring her neck and whining in need. Twisting under him, she caught his mouth in hers and demanded he relent to her pressure. Arthur's hands, broad and rough were running up her sides. His lips were nipping at the other side of her neck and she felt like she was drowning in them. The inside of her legs were growing wet and when Arthur slid a hand up her thigh she keened, her hand digging into John's hair and pulling. He growled under the assault, the rumble in his chest pressed against hers. She let go of his hair, giving a gasp as Arthur pressed a finger inside her. Her hips jerked as he began grinding down on her clit and her hands grabbed for John's clothes. Jerking at them, a few buttons popped off and John scrambled to shed his clothes. While John pulled back, Arthur dragged his teeth against her shoulder. A shock ran through her as his tongue laved over her bite scar. She squealed and dug claws into his arm.

"More." She managed to groan, not quite sure how to speak anymore. Arthur bit down on the scar while dipping another finger into her and curling them just so. He was too slow, she needed more. With a snarl, she rolled him beneath her and, straddling him, began tearing his clothes out of the way so she could get to his throat. Arthur's eyes bled into gold and his free hand moved to hold her throat, tightening as he pushed her back. A toothy grin spread across his face as he began pumping three fingers into her and her hips worked against his hand. Her eyes rolled back as she gave him her throat. Another wave of heat ripped through her, her thighs slick with her own arousal now. 

A tongue dragged up her spine and a hand tangled in her hair to twist her head to the side. John crushed his lips against her, pressing his bare chest against her back. She could feel his erection settle against her ass, pressing close between the cheeks. Leaning forward, pressing against the hand at her throat, she reached behind her and lined John up with her wet and ready opening. Arthur pulled his hand free, holding her eyes as he licked her juices from his fingers. When John slid in, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her hips against his. The hand around her throat held firm, letting her press into it as John began pumping, slow at first. Arthur reached back, staring Adeline down as his thumb swirled against her sensitive nub. The pace picked up and she grabbed onto Arthur's forearm for stability, cries rising from her as John growled into her shoulder. His hand let go of her hair, reaching around her to grab a nipple. Pulling it hard, her body writhed under the assault, trying to go in multiple directions at once. Fire was twisting up inside her and she pressing into Arthur's hand hard enough it was difficult to breathe and she was wanting more. John's thrusts were growing faster, harder and with a loud snarl he bit down into her mating scar hard enough to bleed. Pulling free of her, his spend landed on Arthur's thigh. She let go of Arthur's arm with one hand to reach back and grab at John's lank hair, digging her nails into his scalp as Arthur's fingers pushed her over the rapidly approaching cliff. 

She yelled as she climaxed, the hand around her throat softening it's grip and sliding to her cheek. Her breath came heavy and she felt limp, John's arm around her middle and his teeth in her shoulder all that was holding her up. He gently laid down on Arthur's chest as he rolled beside them. Her limbs were heavy and she was shivering as she came down. Thoughts grew fuzzy and she was pliant as Arthur moved her between them and sat up to undress. John pulled a fur over Adeline and pressed against her back, stroking her hair smooth as he took it out of the ruined braid.

"Think maybe next time you could not mess up my pants, John? I don't need help there." Arthur grumbled as he pulled his shirt over his head and began unbuckling his belt. "Besides, we talked, she's okay with having pups." Leaving his clothes in a heap nearby, Arthur laid down next to her. 

"Really, Addy?" He sounded so pitifully excited, she wondered how she'd never noticed it was something they wanted. She guessed it wasn't something that had really come up before. Her body felt like lead, but as she managed a nod. Weakly, she tried to raise her hand but Arthur caught it and kissed her knuckles. John pressed his face to her neck, licking at the fresh bite mark. It'd already stopped bleeding.

"John, there's food on the table. Bring her a plate." Arthur told him. John pulled away from her and she tried to reach for him only for Arthur to slide her against his bare chest. "He'll be right back, Lamb." His scent pulled her and she was nuzzling under his jaw, licking and nipping at his pulse point. The fire inside her started to rekindle only for Arthur to push her back. "You gotta eat something, you didn't even eat breakfast today. All you've had today was a bit of stringy old Hunter." John sat down cross legged beside her, holding out a piece of fresh, soft bread. 

"I've heard of Omega's dropping twenty pounds in a heat before." He said as she took the piece of food and sat up. "That's not good for anybody, and if you're serious about having pups doubly so." As she finished the bread, he held the plate out to her while pulling an apple slice off for himself. "Are you really serious?" The first bite of apple on her tongue was overwhelming, juice slipping down her chin as she relished the sweetness. It was enough to distract her from the question. Arthur nudged her with his shoulder and she looked over at John. He just looked so damn eager. 

"Well," She wiped at her chin with the back of her hand. "yes." It was easier to say yes now and as she took another bite of apple, she realized she was glad Arthur had talked to her earlier about it. The desire to be bred was nearly overwhelming. Her breath stalled a bit at the thought took over. She wanted to grab Arthur and demand he fill her but when she looked over at him, he reached to her plate and pulled another piece of fresh apple into her hand.

"Yeah, I smelled that shift in you. Eat more first." There was a bit of force behind his words and she was suddenly seized with the need to please him. She was getting whiplash from her own thoughts and as distracted as she was, Arthur was right. Her stomach was happy for something other than raw meat. Her thoughts were a bit clearer as she ate.

"So, just this bad for a week?" It was unpleasant, for sure but she could survive it. John gave a laugh, shaking his head. 

"Oh no, it's gonna get worse. Especially once Arthur knots you." 

"Knots me?" Her core buzzed, she might not know what that meant but her body did. And it wanted it. Badly.


	3. Chapter 3

Adeline's hands were sinking into Arthur's hair, crushing his lips to hers as her tongue forced a response. He was a little startled, taking a second for his hand to grab her and pull her back. It nearly hurt to be denied him and she whined. The sound affected him, his eyes going gold again and his hands loosened enough she could slip free of his grasp and plaster herself against him. 

"Alpha," The word cooed in his ear made him grunt. His hands found her hips and dug in. "Be rough." She needed his hands on her, needed claws and teeth. 

"You sure?" He didn't sound like he quite believed her. She nodded a second before sinking her teeth into his shoulder, over the scar she'd given him. A strangled cry was squeezed out of him and Arthur's hands tightened, throwing her down to the furs beneath him. Straddling her waist, he was already erect, leaking clear precum onto her stomach. She arched up into his hand as it slid up her chest, between her breasts and around her neck. "Hold her arms, Beta." John was above her, moving her arms up beside her head and leaned his weight down on them, grinning down at her. Satisfied she wasn't going to move, Arthur climbed off her much to Adeline's frustration. Squirming underneath John, she wanted more. Arthur pulled her legs up, holding her ankles with one massive hand and let his other hand slap against her ass hard enough to sting a few times. 

"Hold still." He growled and her breath caught in her lungs. She tried to still herself, but it was hard. He moved her knees up to her chest, a hand against her thighs to keep them there as he dipped two fingers into her. Slick, thick and smelling of her dripped out. The scent of it was enough to shake his own tight control. Pulling his fingers out, he licked them clean before holding her open and delving his tongue into her for more. Adeline gasped and cried out to feel him lap at her. Sharp teeth sank into the sensitive skin of her thigh and her hips bucked up. He licked slowly over the bruised skin before biting again a little closer to her core. She sobbed as she struggled against her Beta, but his hands were tight and solid around her upper arms. She wanted to rip them both apart and put them back together herself. Alpha took pity on her and returned his attention to her wet folds, letting his tongue slide around the entrance, teasing her. 

Teeth grazed against her overly sensitive flesh and she moaned low, begging in half formed words for more. As close as she was climax, she couldn't find it. Fire seared inside her as she tried all she could to urge him on. She didn't even know what she needed other than more. 

"Alpha, please." The words shook in her throat as he circled her clit with his tongue. "Please." It was a sob. Alpha laughed, hungry for her and pressed her knees harder to her chest, exposing her to him fully. She felt him rub the shaft of his cock against her folds, her slick covering him quickly. He only teased her a moment longer before he lined himself up and slammed into her. It was too much at once, spreading her, stretching her. Her head threw back as her hips rocked against his without thought. Beta dragged his teeth against her neck, biting down gently and holding her head down. Alpha began rutting into her, holding her thighs bruisingly tight. She wanted bruises. She wanted bitemarks. She wanted blood. He pinned her down, unable to do anything but moan and cry out under the hammering into her. Inside her it felt like her blood would boil, fire curling tight as the pitch of her cries rose. 

The base of his cock seemed to grow bigger in side of her, her opening stretching more with each thrust until it couldn't pull free. It didn't stop him from thrusting into her, their skin slapping together wetly. Breathing was hard, she was trembling beneath him. Claws dug into the underside of her thighs as he took her and with a final thrust and a feral yell, he released himself inside her. Letting go of her legs, they fell on either side of him. He shoved Beta out of the way and bit into her neck, holding on as his hips bucked against hers. She cried out, finally finding the release she'd been chasing desperately. Her arms, now free, wrapped around him, holding on for dear life as everything else fell away. His teeth on her neck held her down, grounding her until she came down. As her breathing returned, he let go, licking at the wound for a moment. She was still reacting sluggishly even as he turned his attention to her jaw, nuzzling her mouth before finding her lips to kiss. He was heavy on top of her, and warmer than any fur. Her hands curled into his hair, wanting him to never leave as she pressed her face against his shoulder. 

"Do you," His voice was thick, slurred. He swallowed to try and clear his throat but it didn't help much. "Do you want me off you?" When he made a move to roll his weight to the side she shook her head violently, digging claws into him. He huffed a bit, maybe it was almost a laugh, and pressed kisses against the side of her face that he could reach. Her senses returned slowly until she was able to uncurl a little and open her eyes. Above her, the gold eyes of her Alpha watched her closely, a small smile played on his lips. When she looked around, she saw her Beta sitting against the wall nearby, lazily stroking himself as he watched her. Alpha pressed under her jaw again, scenting her softly. She reached out and her Beta tucked himself against her, against their Alpha. Against her protestest, her Alpha rolled them to their sides, letting Beta press closer against her as both held onto her. He tugged a warm fur up over her and nestled her under his chin. She drifted off then, filled and content for the moment. The fire inside her banked for the time being. 

She woke when Arthur slipped from her. A whimper left her as she slowly woke, feeling empty without his girth. Beside her, John squeezed her tight around the middle and pressed her face against the back of her beck. Arthur shifted around her, close and warm. Too warm. In the lull of things, she needed air, needed to get up and stretch her legs. It was a bit of a trouble to squirm out of their tight grasp but she managed to crawl out of the pile without waking either of them. Her mind back in control, she took in the rest of the basement she hadn't really noticed before. The other side of it was a reasonable height, a table and chairs set up with candles burning for light and a table set with food. Her stomach rumbled a bit to remind her to eat and she picked up a handful of berries laying in a bowl before climbing the stairs to the house above. 

It was bright upstairs, midday out. Hotter than the basement. It was a bit stuffy though, it was nice to get some fresh air. For a moment, she lingered in the main room eating berries as she snooped around. A photo of Bessie and Hosea sat on the mantle over the fireplace. They both looked far more severe than they actually were. It was an old photo, they were so young in it. Her eyes lingered over it, thinking how nice a photo of her and the boys would be. Her attention drifted and she stepped into a bedroom. A colorful quilt folded up on the end of the bed caught her eye. Did Bessie make it herself? It was fine work. Maybe she should make a quilt, it'd be a nice project while...her mind drifted to the topic so gently she didn't realize she was already thinking ahead. It excited her but she didn't want to admit it, to anyone. Not yet, at least. Too late to back out now, she laughed to herself. A mirror stood in the corner, catching her eye. She hadn't seen a mirror bigger than her hand in six months, since she'd become a wolf. Standing in front of it, she looked for what had changed.

She was leaner than she'd ever been. Adeline had never been a particularly big person, but she'd been soft at least. Ate well enough and didn't have harsh farmwork to do, she'd been pleasantly soft. Now, muscles showed, her thighs and arms bulkier than before from hard riding. Running with her pack had certainly packed on the muscle quick. She looked like she was rough and tumble now. Her skin had gone tan. Lots of running naked in the sun, she smirked to herself. Positively hedonistic with how much she enjoyed running. Her hair was longer. Turning around to look at the chestnut waves spilling down her back to her waist, she considered cutting it. Out in the sun enough a few light highlights had started to show. Maybe she took a little too much pride in it to do that just yet. It was easy enough to braid and pin if it got in the way, anyway. The scars at her side had faded some, didn't seem so awful as they had at the start and it didn't bother her to look at them like it once had. Fresh bruises and bite marks mottled the skin at her neck and thighs. A hand strayed over her flat stomach, trying to imagine what it would look like swollen. It was hard to see in her mind. She quirked her mouth down at the corner. That would be almost a big a change as turning wolf. 

A breeze blowing in from an open window caught her attention. A hound was nearby. Her head snapped around to catch the scent. Iron. Hunter. She walked out of the bedroom to the main room, the open window looking over the expanse of dry plains. One Hunter. Her eyes glanced around the room, spying a rifle above the fireplace. She still wasn't a great shot, but she was good enough to hit a person at twenty paces. Pulling it from its pegs, she looked back out the window. A rider was visible now, a small dot chasing after something. The hound probably. Fire burned in her gut, a flame kindling alive again and making her grunt at it. Of all the damn times for them to be chasing her down. The Hunter was closer now. Her gut seared, desire making her want to climb back into her den but hell if she could do that now. She checked to make sure the rifle was loaded. It was. 

Kicking the front door open, she stepped out onto the porch and raised the rifle. Lining it up, she shot the hound. It crumpled with a yelp and went still. The Hunter was near now, she lowered the rifle a hair when she recognized enough of his scent. That dumbass Sanford. 

"Luke?" She called out, surprised. The rider pulled up, just about twenty paces from her. He seemed startled. Part of that was probably because she was still naked but hell if she cared about _that_ right now. "Leave me alone!" It was a dangerous snarl that startled his horse. The creature paced in place, tossing its head nervously.

"Ma'am. You..." His eyes looked her over then looked away. Even at this distance she could see him blush.

"I'm wolf now, yeah. Still mated. Go away." She didn't think he'd actually listen but he hadn't reached for his gun yet. 

"Those Hunters I found, you do that?" There was fear in his voice. 

"They were hanging one of my kind. I've only ever been protecting me and mine." Why was it so damn important to have this conversation with him? She should just shoot him and be done with it. "I got a beta and a grumpy Alpha in here too, want to try and take all three of us on alone?" Why hadn't he shot at her yet? Sanford shook his head, dismounting. 

"No Beta or Alpha did _that_ back there, Ma'am. You an Omega?" She raised the rifle again, setting the crosshair between his eyes. He raised his arms up.

"So what if I am? What's it to you?" Her face scowled at his stupid question. What did it matter? Sanford shook his head. 

"No, I-I-I just ain't ever heard of that happening." A roar of rage was loud enough to shake the house. Sanford jerked back, his hand on his saddle. 

"You better leave now before my mates eat you." She threatened. Behind her Arthur came storming up the stairs. Her hand flew out to keep him behind her. He was wolf now, towering over her on his hind legs and snarling. Sanford shrank down, his foot slipping from the stirrup as he tried to mount in a panic. Thankfully Arthur stood down at the wave of her hand, snarling. "Go, you idiot. And stop following me." 

"I-I-I wouldn't have if I'd known it was you." He swallowed, trying to raise his chin in a show of bravado he didn't have. "But that mess you left, Ma'am. Others are going to come for you."

"You think I'm afraid of them?" Arthur was right against her, ready to attack. John came out then, a blanket hastily wrapped around his waist and his revolver raised as he stepped beside Adeline. Sanford took a step back, his horse tossing its head and nearly knocking him over. 

"N-n-n-no Ma'am." He kept his hands up where they could see them.

"You're kind of an idiot." She lowered her rifle, John giving her a side glance of confusion and Arthur whining at her. 

"Yes, Ma'am. And branded a coward after the last time I saw you." He reached to his throat and pulled down the black bandana wrapped around it. It was hard to make out but he had some kind of burn scar on his neck. Adeline sneered at the thought of his own kind doing that to him. 

"So go. Others come for us, we won't be so kind." She waited and he still didn't move. Thinking better of it but doing it anyways, and a spike a fire in her gut making her curse, she stepped down off the porch. Walking barefoot across the hot dirt, she stopped in front of him an arms length between them. He was leaning away, afraid of her. Six months hadn't done much to fill out his frame. Curious, she reached out and tugged his bandana down. A 'c' was branded into the crook of his neck. It was messy, like the brand had slid around a bit before it found purchase. Her face was blank but her eyes darted up to look his face over. He was scared. Lines were starting to crease around his face like he'd been scared for a long time. "You come back empty handed from this, they're going to do worse to you. Ain't they?" 

"Yes, Ma'am." He swallowed hard and she watched as his adam's apple bobbed up and down. 

"So run away, do something else. Disappear. You ain't bound to them." He wasn't her problem. He wasn't her problem. She kept repeating it over in her head. But he was young and scared and he hadn't once tried to hurt her. "You got guns, you got a horse. Just vanish. They'll think you're dead too." Leaning in close, she whispered in his ear. "And if my mates catch your scent again they'll probably kill you." Standing up straight, she snarled to herself as a cut of fire flared up in her. 

"Ma'am, are you alright?" He reached out like he could help her as she nearly doubled over, grabbing her stomach. She jammed the rifle into his gut to keep him away from her. 

"Go. Now." She gritted the words out and he finally mounted up and turned his horse. With one long backwards glance, he galloped off. The walk back to the house was rough, her arm holding her gut as it twisted inside her. Arthur was pacing the porch on all fours while John was struggling to hold his blanket around his waist and his gun.

"What the hell was that?" He pointed with his gun. "_Who_ the hell was that?" Arthur gave a snap of agreement. Adeline leaned heavily on the railing of the steps for a second, glaring at both of them.

"A scared fucking kid, what did he look like to you?" She hissed. Arthur pressed against her, giving her something to hold on to to walk inside. She dropped the rifle by the door and struggled to the trap door. John was still pacing on the porch. 

"John!" Her voice carried with a snap to it. He nearly jumped out of his skin, coming inside and barring the door behind him. Arthur held her hand as she shakily climbed back down into the den. It was a relief to be in the colder basement, out of the sun. She collapsed into the furs with a sigh. Arthur slipped to human as he lay beside her, her arms wrapping around him. 

"You're a fool." He hissed as he tilted her head to the side and nipped at her neck. Her eyes fluttered closed to feel him touch her. John stumbled down the stairs, setting his gun on the table before tossing the blanket over the back of a chair. He shook out his shoulders and Adeline glanced over at him, tasting his nervousness on her tongue. Reaching out to him, she beckoned him to her, pulling him against her. Her hands brushed through his hair, combing strands out of his face as she held him against her chest. 

"I can handle myself just fine, boys." The grin that settled on her face felt warm. _Her boys_. A streak of fire ran up her back and she hissed, arching her back. John's lips found her neck, licking his way up to her ear.


	4. Chapter 4

She lay there, her face pressed against the furs with her knees under her. Spend and slick dripping from her wet slit and coating the inside of her thighs. So thoroughly debauched she might never recover and still she wanted more. Needed more. Arthur pressed against her back, moving hair out of her face as he leaned in to bite just below her ear. 

“I’m going to knot you with both of our seed in you. You’re ours, Lamb.” His hand tightened at her hip, nudging her knees wider with his leg. Without a preamble, he slid into her already open hole. There wasn’t a stretch now, he just fit, like a leather glove molded to a hand. She moaned as he angled his hips just right and hit a spot inside her that made her hips buck weakly back. A hand dug into her hair, pulling her face back, forcing her to look up. Above her, John kneeled in front of her. He was already hard again, his member just above her. Pushing herself up, she swallowed him down to the hilt, forcing a grunt out of him as he tossed his head back. His hand twisted tighter in her hair. She could taste herself on him and it made her moan, wanton and low. Arthur's hips slammed into her, pushing John deeper into her mouth and making her squeal, wordless, around him. 

An arm reach around her hips, calloused fingers finding her clit. It was a relief that didn't release her, making her whimper as John took hold of her hair with both hands and found a rhythm with Arthur. They rutted into her, pistoning back and forth, trapping her. John's hips stuttered against her face, pushing deep enough to force tears down her face before jerking free of her mouth. He released onto her face, tilting her face to the side as warm ropes draped across her cheek. Wiping the last clinging drops off across her mouth, he released her and fell back gasping for air. 

Arthur's hand slid up her back to wrap around her throat. With a sudden shove and growl, he pressed her head and shoulders to the ground. The swell of his knot grew until he was jerking her hips back with his. A guttural moan was caught by her shoulder as he released himself inside her, his hand still working her into release along with him. She sobbed into the furs as her climax exploded inside her. Her legs shook and they collapsed as Arthur let his weight fall on her. Breath came heavy as they came down from their high. Arthur pulled her hair back and licked John's spend from her face, swallowing it down like a good whiskey. 

He was so heavy against her back, his arm reaching above her head to cage her in. His other hand smoothed along her side, calming and loving. There was relief, deep in her chest, still connected to him and so tired she couldn't keep her eyes open. She drifted off to the sound of him cooing to her, telling her how wonderful she was in a reverent voice. 

It was a hard week of sleeping in small naps. A long week of John reminding both Arthur and Adeline to eat occasionally. Of content exhaustion swinging wildly back into desperate hunger that made her want to claw at her on skin. But someone was there to catch her hands, to give her what she wanted until she was screaming in release. At the end of it, sore and covered in bruises, welts and bites, she finally slept an entire night. When she woke, she found herself alone on the furs. The smell of fresh bread baking pulled her to sit up. The fire inside her was gone, extinguished and she felt more herself than she had for a while. It was a strange feeling, being by herself in the basement den. For a week neither of her mates had been more than a few footsteps away and now she was left to dress herself and try to right herself alone.

As she ascended the stairs, a soft humming pulled her attention to the sink and stove on one side of the main room. Bessie was working at something, bread was baking nicely and her mates were nowhere to be seen. The old woman didn’t look up from washing dishes, Adeline could see now. A breeze was blowing into the house, all the windows open. 

“Have a seat, dear. I sent Arthur and John out to the pump to wash up. No offense but you all smell like Heat.” She laughed. Adeline sat at the table, still a little slow as she woke up fully. Bessie sat a glass down beside her, filled with fresh water. "I'll get them to pull out the old wash tub and fill it for you. Bet your legs feel about like jelly right now." Adeline had to admit the woman wasn't wrong. The water felt good on her tongue, she downed the entire glass in two gulps. 

"I remember what it was like, oh," There was a small sigh from the woman, like fond memories were running through her mind for a moment. Shaking it off, Bessie used two small towels to pull a loaf of bread out of the oven. Steam rose from the handsomely baked bread, the scent dangerously alluring. "John was telling me it was your first heat? I thought you'd be younger, was about ready to tan him and Arthur's hide." She was pulling out a clean plate and spooning food onto it from a pot on the stove as she spoke. 

"Yeah, I uh." She hadn't expected that topic to come up so quickly. Her sluggish mind was unprepared for it. "I was turned about six months back." The plate of food was dropped onto the table in front of her and the glass of water refilled. Beans, cooked in butter, made her mouth water with the smell. Cold meat she couldn't quite identify but well salted was to one side of the plate.

"That must have been awful, I remember what a state John was in when we found him." She clucked to herself as she started slicing the bread up. Adeline wanted to watch her, study this woman who knew her mates better than she did, but her stomach pulled her attention to the plate and she was digging in. Thick slices of warm bread were tossed onto the plate as she ate. "Do they treat you right?" Bessie crossed her arms, studying Adeline. She loved this woman with her entire heart now.

"Yes." A smile spread across her face as she returned her attention to her food. Bessie seemed satisfied with her answer and returned to her cooking. The back door opened and her mates walked in, looking scrubbed pink and damp still. Arthur was carrying a beaten up tin washtub on his back. John held buckets of water. 

"Set it down by the stove." Bessie said without looking up. Arthur obeyed without a word, turning to leave again as John splashed the buckets into the washtub. He flashed a smile at Adeline before heading back out. She felt her cheeks flush in response before returning her attention to the plate of food. They filled the tub as she ate, and by the time she'd finished the tub was full and waiting for her.

"You've seen enough of her naked for a while, give the poor girl a rest." Bessie shooed John and Arthur out of the house, smacking Arthur on the shoulder when he grumbled and practically shoving them out and slamming the door behind them. "Alright then, let's get you washed up." Bessie smiled warmly as Adeline watched her, a little bit startled by her ability to command her boys. 

"I wouldn't have minded." She said softly. Bessie nodded, walking over to help her stand and undress.

"I know dear, but I would have." Her hand was gentle as she pulled Adeline out of her seat and guided her over to the wash tub. Adeline moved slowly to unbutton her shirt, shrugging out of it and handing it to Bessie. The old woman didn't say anything about the marks on her, but maybe that was expected. She didn't know and it was hard to tell. 

The water was cold, nice in the heat of the day. She sank into the tub and leaned back against the metal rim. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and just relaxed. No flame of desire searing into her, no anger flaring up in her head, just relaxed. A soft hand picked up her arm and began scrubbing it. She startled a moment before looking over at Bessie. It reminded her a bit of when she'd been a small child and her mother had washed her. 

"I remember how hard on a person it can be, Heat." Bessie said softly as she ran a washcloth across the back of Adeline's shoulders. "I remember this one time I got my teeth into Hosea's..." She trailed off, realizing maybe Adeline didn't want to know the end of that sentence. "Well, it can take a bit to heal up so take it easy, alright? Though to hear them talk about you, you don't take it easy." She laughed. As she reached across Adeline to wash her other arm, she paused. A small grin crossed her face for a second and she leaned in close to scent her. 

"What?" Adeline eyed her as the old woman smirked and continued to scrub her. 

"Nothing, not yet anyways." She smiled. "You should stay for a little while, rest up here for a few days. I imagine you might be a bit sore to ride back to the pack just yet anyways. Hell, if you stay long enough Hosea'll probably come looking for you." She finished what she could reach, handing Adeline the washrag to finish up herself. "I'd owe you at least for that." The old woman groaned as she stood up, wiping her hands on her apron. Adeline eyed her for a moment, but had to agree she wasn't looking forward to straddling a horse just yet. 

When she finished, drying herself off with an offered towel, Bessie stuck her head out the back door. 

"You can come back in." She called and Adeline realized John and Arthur had simply been sitting beside the door, waiting. 

They stayed three days, taking the bed in a side room instead of the den. Bessie said she didn’t use it much anymore and she was always welcome to come use it when she had need. The idea of a secure den she could return to was a relief she hadn’t fully realized she needed and she was glad Bessie had. The spare bed was a little small, she had to sleep on top of Arthur and John for all of them to fit but she didn’t mind. When Arthur and John went out to hunt game, Adeline was glad to have the time with older Omega. 

“Is it always so hard?” She asked, her fingers twisting mindlessly in the skirt of her dress. It was dirty, she needed to wash it when they got back to the pack. They were sitting on the porch of the home, Bessie mending a torn jacket of John’s. She’d offered, taking it out of Adeline’s hands before the girl could protest. 

“What, dear?” She asked without looking up. 

“Just...being an Omega. A heat ever six months, and that’s two weeks, at least, spent hold up in a den no matter what. Everything seems to get on my nerves near the full moon. Other wolves are afraid of me when they meet me and I’m starting to think they should be.” She looked out over the open horizon. “And then if they find out I’m made, not born, they think I’m a curiosity. Like, nothing about this is easy.” She didn’t mean to complain, she did like her life. Things had just seemed harder lately and it was hard to tell if she was doing things right or not. 

“Well, I won’t say it’s an easy life. It’s not.” Bessie stilled her hands, looking over at her. Adeline didn’t return the gaze, instead keeping her eyes on a swirling dust devil in the distance. “But surely you like some of it.”

“I like most of it.” She grinned over, trying to reassure Bessie and feeling bad to have brought it up at all. “I just don’t know if I’m doing what I’m supposed to. John and Arthur are wonderful, but they don’t know a whole lot about Omegas, and neither do I. I hate to keep asking Sadie dumb questions. Make me feel foolish.” This line of conversation was bothering her and making her feel stupid. “How did you and Hosea meet?” She turned her head to look at Bessie fully, changing the topic suddenly. Bessie was kind enough to let her and it was the old woman’s turn to stare off across the landscape. 

“He tried to rob me.” She smirked. Adeline balked, a sharp laugh slipping out of her. “No, really. He did. Polite about it, at least. I was riding with my sister and her mate, and up comes this handsome Alpha and his little pack. Just a Beta and his mate, Dutch and Annabelle.” Her eyes twinkled as she remembered. “And he says, ‘Give us your valuables and nobody get’s hurt.’ Imagine!” She laughed then, a warm and loud. “And I said, ‘absolutely not’. And oh, his eyes went gold right then. We were mated in a week.” Adeline couldn’t help but laugh with her. “Sometimes I think he decided to rob us just to get a chance to speak with me. Fool wolf.” They smiled a bit, Adeline turning her face into the breeze to catch any scents. Arthur and John were still a few miles off, only a few small critters nearby. “How did you manage to mate two wolves while human, if you don’t mind me asking?” The question was soft, the topic obviously had the chance to be upsetting. Bessie watched as Adeline’s forehead wrinkled a bit, but the girl didn’t look at her. 

“They saved me. It was a month, just about, from when I first met them to when we mated. My life when I was human,” She paused, thinking it over. “It was over. There wasn’t ever any question, I had to go with them.” Removed as she was from the events, the emotions she’d once felt were fading. “I think it was over the moment I met them.” She finally looked over to see Bessie watching her. A little embarrassed, she ducked her head to look at her fingers. “They were very sweet.” 

“They had better have been.” Bessie smiled. “I know I raised them best I could.” The idle thought wandered through Adeline’s mind, that her mother would have liked Bessie very much. Her face fell into a small, quiet smile that Bessie didn’t ask after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one’s shorter than normal. I may have gotten distracted writing something else...three guesses what!


	5. Chapter 5

Hosea did come find them, riding up with John and Arthur in the cooling air of evening. Bessie ran down the porch, and as she hurried across the dirt Adeline could see a bit of a limp to her gate. Walking normally it wasn’t noticeable and she wondered exactly how much it pained the old woman. Hosea swung his leg over Silver Dollar’s neck, dropping to the ground to catch Bessie up in a tight hug. His face buried in her neck as he scented her. John laughed a bit as he hitched Old Boy to the porch. He had a bird tied to the saddle and Adeline was looking forward to eating it, her appetite returning after a lull immediately following the end of her heat.

“You have a nice afternoon talking about us?” Arthur asked her. He squeezed her shoulder with one arm as he held a rabbit in his off hand. 

“I have heard about every embarrassing thing you’ve ever done.” She smirked up at him before he let go and headed inside, laughing after her. Hosea held Bessie’s arm as the two walked up the porch. 

“Adeline, dear girl. Arthur tells me a Hunter showed up during your Heat? And he left at your request? You must tell me about that.” He said. Adeline fidgeted at the suggestion. She was still confused about Sanford, not terribly sure what about him got stuck in her mind and refused to let go. Thankfully Bessie gave her a respite from the question by complaining loudly at being expected to prepare two separate animals for dinner on short notice. Over dinner, he repeated the question and surrounded by four wolves who weren’t going to let her let topic go again, she had to answer.

“His name’s Sanford. I met him back when they had us pinned down, when I first met the pack. Remember?” She asked, Arthur nodding in response. It was clear that memory was still seared into his own brain as freshly as it was in hers. “He’s young. And scared, and I don’t think he wants to be doing what he is.”

“He just left?” Bessie asked, a little harrowed to hear of a Hunter so close to her home. Adeline nodded.

“Well, I had a rifle, and Arthur and John were both ready to tear him apart. There wasn’t much else he could do.” She thought of the brand on his shoulder. “Are Hunters a family? I mean, how do you get into that profession?” 

“It’s several families, or at least it used to be. I’m not sure now. They’re under the guise of a detective agency now, but it’s more like a cult.” Hosea explained. “Do you think he’ll lead them back here?” 

“No, no I don’t.” It troubled her, and she realized she wanted to help the poor kid. “He’s not made for that sort of work, I don’t think. He seems too soft. He was there when they cornered me near Valentine. Ran away when he heard your howls.”

“Smart kid.” Arthur grumbled, stuffing meat into his mouth. Adeline watched him for a minute. 

“He’s never tried to hurt me. He was following our trail from those Hunters we killed, didn’t know it was us. Me.” She corrected herself. Sanford didn’t know Arthur or John, he knew her. 

“You’re worried about a Hunter?” John asked, reading her emotions clearly and dumbfounded by them. She stalled, nodding her head. 

“They branded him for that.’ She said, not looking at the group. Her eyes were trained down on her plate, not really seeing the food as the image of the ‘C’ still caught in her mind. “He was afraid of them, not us. Arthur, you were wolf, fit to kill him and he was still more scared of them than you. I had a rifle in his gut and he was still more afraid of them. Can you just ignore that?” Maybe she hadn’t been wolf long enough to be that callous to a person, even a Hunter. Arthur shrugged. 

“He’s a Hunter. I’m supposed to feel sorry for him?” He looked her in the eye as she finally looked up. 

“Yes.” She didn’t back down. Arthur’s mouth quirked in a small frown before he dropped the gaze. “Anyway, I told him to run from it all. I hope he does.” Her forked scraped across the plate, her appetite having fled. With a heavy sigh, she pushed the plate away and stood up. “You’ll excuse me, I’m feeling a bit tired.” Not waiting to say goodnight, she stepped into the spare bedroom. 

In truth, she was tired, it wasn’t just an excuse to escape the brewing argument between her and Arthur. They would be riding back to the pack tomorrow, she knew. A part of her was sad to leave Bessie. She was comforting, almost familiar without having known her long. Miss Grimshaw wasn’t nearly so warm and Sadie had a mean streak in her that, admittedly usually got Adeline laughing. But it was nice to have someone soft to lean on. 

After stripping down to her chemise, she climbed between to sheets of the bed. Light spilled into the room from underneath the door and a shy bit of starlight came in from the open window. A light breeze kept the room from being uncomfortable and Adeline enjoyed the empty bed for the brief time before Arthur and John joined her. Her mind still gnawed at her about Sanford. The boy was stuck in her craw and she was worried about him, biting her lip as she wondered what happened to him. 

She must have fallen asleep, at least lightly, because when the bedroom door opened she started awake. Arthur glanced at her, surprised by her reaction. 

“Sorry,” He grumbled as he began shrugging out of his clothes. Adeline grimaced at his tone, he was still mad. Well, he could stay mad, she wasn’t changing her opinion. Huffing at him, she curled back up against the pillows. When he sat on the edge of the bed to pull his boots off, his shoulders sagged with a hard sigh. 

“Lamb,” She glanced over her shoulder at his tone. Was he sad? “You can’t trust Hunters.”

“I didn’t say I trusted him.” Sitting up, she reached out to grab his shoulder. “He’s a terrified kid. I’m worried about him.” 

“He wouldn’t be worried about you, why you gotta waste your energy on him?” He asked, twisting around to look at her. Sad and scared, she could see it in the creases at his eyes. 

“Because I don’t do anything the easy way, do I? I ain’t going to go running out to find him, just...if you run into him again, and he’s not trying to hurt you, don’t kill him. Okay?” He acted like she was asking for something impossible, grumbling and shaking his head. “Arthur,” Her voice was a bit sterner this time. Was he going to be that stubborn? She didn’t think she was asking for that much, basic decency was all. Her hand slipped down his arm to grab his hand and pull him into bed beside her. 

“Fine.” It was a huff, something he definitely didn’t want to agree to but was anyway. She smiled at him, kissing the tip of his nose. 

“If he tries to hurt you, you can kill him. I’m not asking for anything absurd.” She tried to mollify him.

“I disagree with that.” He argued, slipping his arms around her to pull her against his chest. It was easy then, to snuggle close and rest her head against his shoulder. Tucked underneath his chin, listening to his breath even out and slow, she drifted off. 

The next day, they rode out before lunch. Adeline rode behind John, enjoying bothering him by slipping her fingers under his coat and tracing her fingers up his sensitive ribs. He jumped the first time she did it, making her laugh into his shoulder and squeeze him tight. 

“Jesus, woman.” He’s laughed at her. She kissed the back of his neck, smirking as he grabbed her hand and held it in place around his waist. “Demon.” He hissed. 

“Your demon.” She whispered back. The flush up the back of his neck made her happy. When he’d offered her a bit of cheese for a meal as they rode, she turned it down. It seemed unappetizing after such good food with Bessie. The thought made her groan a bit. 

“It’s going to be so much worse eating Pearson’s food after Bessie.” She admitted. 

“You get used to it,” Arthur assured her. “Eventually.” They laughed about that together, even Hosea. 

It had been a while since she’d ridden behind John, since she’d gotten Ace. She was surprised to see she missed it, the relaxed closeness that came from pressing against his back. An easy rhythm to the horses gate as they swayed together. It wouldn’t be long before they got back to the pack, though Hosea said they were preparing to move out again so it’d be back in the saddle then. He rode close to John and Adeline as they followed the old, half invisible trails. 

“Arthur said you saved a mated pair while you were heading out to Bessie’s?” He asked. She felt John stiffen underneath her and couldn’t remember if she had told him about that. Certainly Arthur would have, but then again he’d been a bit distracted. 

“Hunters were hanging the Alpha, his Beta didn’t look too hot either.” She explained, a hand straying to rub reassuringly along John’s arm. “I couldn’t just leave them.” 

“No, I suppose not.” Hosea mused. “Still, I imagine the Alpha had something to say, you being into your Heat.” A small laugh came out of him at the thought. John’s hand tensed around her wrist, stopping the small motion of her hand. F

“I can’t quite remember, but I seem to have a vague idea that Arthur was carrying me out and his Beta was shouting at him.” She smirked. Hosea nodded. 

“A mated pair on their own, they’re probably unused to help.” He thought for a moment. 

“Was it wrong of me? They were going to kill him.” She couldn’t see how it was wrong. Sitting up straight, her hands slid down to John’s hips to hold herself in place. Hosea shook his head. 

“Not wrong, just unexpected. I’d say you probably made friends for life there.”

“If I ever see them again.” She quipped. It seemed odd to her to have run into the same wolves again, so far as it was from the last time she’d seen them. Hosea shrugged. 

“Wolves are a small circle, I’m afraid. You tend to run into the same ones again and again.” He didn’t seem so confused by it. 

“Addy, next time maybe don’t take on a group of Hunters when you’re halfway into your Heat.” John was upset. Mad at her for a stupid choice, but he was one to talk.

“I wasn’t alone, Arthur was sniping them. And beside it was only maybe five and a couple of hounds.” She squeezed his hip, trying to make him feel better about it. It wasn’t working. “I’ve told you before, Johnny. I don’t have it in me to let someone get hurt if I can stop it.” He sighed, shaking his head in response. 

“I know.” He growled. “God help me, I know.”

“It’s an admirable trait, John.” Hosea said, smiling back at Adeline. It was nice to have him on her side of the argument for once. John shook his shoulders and grumbled. His attitude seemed to lift a bit, even laughing again as she snaked her fingers under his coat. 

“I promise I won’t run into danger without backup, alright?” She said, close to his ear so she was sure he heard her. 

“Alright, alright!” He said, pulling her hands off his ribs again. 

By the time the found the pack, light was slowly slipping from the sky. Pinks and oranges were shading the clouds above them and Adeline let herself be distracted by the prettiness. Anything to not think about how her hips and back were starting to ache from the long ride. They hadn’t stopped for a break, wanting to get back to the pack before they left. When she slipped off Old Boy, her legs nearly gave out and she had to lean against the large horse for a second to get her bearings. 

“You okay?” John asked, watching her for a minute as he hitched up his horse. 

“Still a bit sore,” She smirked, cutting her eyes to him. John flushed, looking away. 

“Well, smells like Pearson just put out a stew. You ain’t had nothing to eat since we left Bessie’s.” He held out his arm and she took it with a laugh. It felt silly and fancy to hold his arm like that but she liked it. Arthur, of course, was already packing up some of their things, getting ready for the morning when the pack would head out. Abigail was hurrying over, having caught sight of them walking into camp. 

“Addy!” She threw her arms around Adeline. John untangled himself, walking off to grab food. Adeline stumbled a bit under the force of the hug. “Feel like it’s been forever.”

“Two weeks, I guess?” She said, laughing. 

“Try three.” Sadie said as she walked up. She held a rifle in her hands and Adeline suspected she was supposed to be on guard duty at the moment. 

“That long, huh?” Adeline frowned to think she’d lost track of that much time, but felt it couldn’t have been helped. 

“You’re looking better.” Sadie said, “have a good time?” Adeline stuck her tongue out at the invasive question. 

“I got to meet Bessie!” She changed the topic, looking to Abigail who lit up at the name. 

“Oh! How wonderful, she’s such a sweet woman. Couldn’t meet a nicer Omega.” She caught her words and glanced between Sadie and Adeline. Sadie smirked. 

“Probably not.” The blonde responded. 

“I am sorely disappointed to be returning to Pearson’s cooking.” Adeline conceded, hearing an indignant yell from behind her near the chuckwagon. John walked up, handing her a bowl of stew. 

“Ladies, Addy, maybe sit down and eat?” He suggested as if she would forget to eat while holding a plate of food. Maybe she would, it wasn’t very appetizing. Adeline nodded, moving to the nearby table. John was going to sic Arthur on her if she didn’t eat, that was clear enough already. He was hounding her as if really worried. She didn’t see why he was so damn worried, she just wasn’t hungry. Abigail sat with her, gossiping on about how much she’d missed since she’d left. Bill and Javier had gotten into a fight and Javier had dropped Bill like a sack of rocks. Adeline laughed at the image, wishing she had seen it. 

The stew didn’t sit right with her, thick in her mouth and not tasting right. She swallowed it down anyways, not wanting to deal with John annoying her. It was a decision she regretted, her stomach rebelling at the intrusion for the rest of the night. The pack had a small party to welcome the three wolves back, Sean drinking until he was howling after Karen. She was blushing and snapping back at him playfully. Adeline sat between John and Arthur, Arthur’s arm tight around her waist. Consider how angry her stomach was with her, she had refused the offered bottle of beer and so was the only sober person in camp. 

When she stumbled into the darkness around camp to relieve herself, she bumped into Sadie on guard duty still. The Omega gave a small wave as she walked past. The cool night air was refreshing, but she found herself suddenly doubled over and her roiling stomach violently emptying itself into the bushes. Sadie was by her arm, pulling her hair out of her face as she heaved. 

“Getting sick?” She asked, concerned. Adeline shook her head, feeling mountains better once her stomach was empty. 

“Pearson’s damn stew.” She wiped at her face. Sadie handed her a canteen of water to clean her mouth out. “Think it was off or something. That man can’t cook. Been feeling off all night.” Vowing to herself to never eat anything Pearson cooked again, she swirled water around in her mouth before spitting it to the ground and handing the canteen back with a thanks. Sadie took it, screwing the cap back on and eyeing her hard. 

“You sure?” She asked, suspicious. Adeline’s brow quirked up the question.

“What else? I ain’t sick.” Lord, she hoped she wasn’t. It’d be a hellish couple of days if she ended up sick right as they were moving camps. A groan slipped out of her at the thought. “I hope I’m not sick.”

“I hope so too. Come on, I’ll walk you to bed.” Sadie offered an arm and Adeline laughed as she took it. 

“My savior.” She joked. 

“Well, your mates seem a bit incapacitated right now.” The omega smirked, motioned to where John had passed out, leaning against a swaying Arthur. 

“Oh, they’re going to be so grumpy tomorrow.” She moaned at the idea of getting Arthur up from whatever hole he passed out in. 

“Don’t think you’ll be the only one throwing up tomorrow.” Sadie said as they neared Adeline’s tent. 

“Yeah, but I didn’t even drink. How fair is that?” They shared a laugh as Sadie returned to guard duty. The bedrolls were nice to collapse into and she found herself falling asleep easily. Sometime in the night, John fell into bed beside her. His arms squeezed her tightly as he buried his face in the back of her neck and hair. He gave a soft growl as he held her tight. His breath smelled of liquor, but if she kept her head turned it didn’t bother her. It was nice, pressing back against him and falling asleep in his too tight hold. 

The next morning she had to struggle out of his grasp and barely made it to the bushes before upheaving her empty stomach. She sighed to herself as she wiped her hair out of her face. Sadie was right, she must be coming down with something. Now wasn’t the time to let it get to her. The few people up were packing and she was one of the very few who weren’t hungover. 

By the time Arthur stumbled in from wherever he had passed out, covered in dirt and bits of scrub, she had managed to dismantle the tent and get it packed up in one of the wagons. John was wincing his way through packing up their things on the horses. Ace was flighty and excited to get out riding, having been left to go fallow for three weeks while they were gone. 

“Have fun?” Adeline asked him as she check the tack. John was trying, but considering how hard a time he’d had waking up it was worth double checking his work to make sure Ace would be okay for riding. Arthur only groaned in response, burying his face in Buckshot’s neck. 

“No.” He grumbled. She laughed, bending over to check Ace’s hooves. The horse pressed his weight into her side and she had to slap his shoulder to get him off her. 

“Three weeks and suddenly you forget your manners?” She scolded the horse. He only shook his mane and ignored her complaints. From the way he excitedly called out to Kieran she suspected the man had been slipping him treats while she was gone. But his hooves were clean and his coat was well brushed, so she wasn’t about to complain about that. The wolf gave her a shy smile when she looked over at him. He had apparently joined the pack while she was gone. From what Abigail had said, he’d been sweet on Mary-Beth ever since. It was certainly a pair she could get behind. From what Karen had admitted to, her and Tilly had been trying hard to put them in situations together since they’d notice the attraction. 

When they saddled up, her hips complained. Seemed like she still needed a bit more rest than they could afford. No helping that, she supposed as she turned Ace to follow after John and Arthur. When she had asked, Dutch had said he was sick of the heat and they were headed somewhere more temperate. Maybe Kirkland or Canota, he’d said wistfully. She’d never been there before, but when Arthur had explained that would mean traveling over the Grizzlies her excitement at the idea had waned. 

As the group marched along, heading out of New Austin, her energy had waned as she rode behind. The rhythmic plodding of hooves lulling her to sleep in her saddle against her will. Her head kept drooping to her chest until she would jerk away with a start and startle Ace. He complained vocally the third time she jerked his reins on accident. Arthur, mostly recovered from his late night, rode up beside her. 

“You okay?” He asked, concerned. She cracked her neck and shook out her arms, trying to wake herself up but nothing was helping. 

“Just tired. Guess I didn’t get much sleep.” Adjusting her hat a bit, she tried widen her eyes but a yawn took over. 

“Sadie said you were sick last night, but you didn’t drink any.” He asked, looking her over. Adeline shrugged, she felt fine now, if a bit exhausted. 

“Pearson’s stew is awful, what can I say? I feel fine now, just tired.” And her hips were starting to ache already, but she didn’t mention that part. 

“Why don’t you go grab some sleep in the wagon with the girls. It’s going to hurt if you fall out of the saddle.” He joked. It wasn’t the worst idea, she was losing the struggle to stay awake. He’d taken Ace’s reins as she hopped up into the back of the wagon. Abigail had scooted over to let her curl up on a pile of coats and she was out of it before her eyes fully closed.


End file.
